Caretaker govt committed to facilitate ECP in holding free, fair elections: PM Kakar

NEW YORK (APP): Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar says he has projected Pakistan’s perspective on a range of regional and world issues during his address at the 78^th UN General Assembly’s session in New York. Interacting with the representatives of Pakistani media at the Pakistani Mission in New York, he said he informed the world about Pakistan’s perspective on Kashmir and Palestine issues, and Hindutva ideology being pursued by the Indian government.

He said his visit to the New York remained highly successful, where he held useful meetings with the global leaders, including UN Secretary General António Guterres, and discussed regional and international issues.

The Prime Minister said that he also held meetings with different business bodies, which showed interests in the economic revival plans in Pakistan, including privatization and SIFC.

He also termed his discussion with IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva as highly constructive, adding that she hoped that the upcoming mandated government would carry on the economic plan. He said the IMF remained very appreciative of the interim government’s steps over illegal trade of dollars.

Talking about upcoming general elections in Pakistan, the Prime Minister said holding the general elections is the prime responsibility of the Election Commission of Pakistan.  He said the caretaker government is fully committed to facilitating the Election Commission in holding free, fair and transparent polls.  The Prime Minister made it clear that the caretaker government has not stopped any political party to take part in the electoral process.

To a question about rising inflation in Pakistan, the Prime Minister said that the caretaker government has conducted administrative intervention against the sugar and wheat mafias with effective measures. He made it clear that there is no dearth of these commodities in the country as different edible items were readily available. He, however, clarified that prices of certain commodities are linked with the international prices.

About foreign investment in Pakistan, he said the international investors are now willing to make investment in Pakistan due to prudent economic policies of the current government.

Talking about the murder of Khalistan Movement Sikh leader in Canada, the Prime Minister said that the gruesome incident has jolted the West and raised serious questions about the role of Indian state. He said that Pakistan has been a victim of such state-sponsored terrorism and shared evidences of ‘Pakistan centric’ at different global and multilateral fora about the role of Indian state.

He said that it might be the first of its kind event probably after the First World War that an Asian country staged a physical murder on the European soil and its impacts are being witnessed across the western countries, who now has realized as to how India is persecuting its minorities like Christians, Sikhs and Muslims.

About Afghanistan, the prime minister said that they held multifaceted engagements with the Afghan interim government and hoped the outcome of these engagements will be beneficial for the two countries.  Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar said that Pakistan respects the territorial sovereignty and integrity of Afghanistan.  He said that Pakistan will take all steps to protect its own territorial integrity and people whenever any need arises.

About Pakistan-US ties, he said that Islamabad enjoys highly constructive historic relations with Washington, which will be further strengthened in the days to come.  The Prime Minister said that the Pakistani diaspora is contributing in the United States and playing its due role in the community building.

Meanwhile Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar has said that bringing economic stability in the country was the foremost priority of the government and in this regard a comprehensive economic revival plan was in force.

He said assisting the process of elections was one of the prime duties of the government. “We will be assisting and supporting the process, and while doing so really try to focus on the economic revival plan.

That is the biggest challenge.” In an interview with the US based weekly magazine Newsweek here on Friday, the prime minister pointed out that the caretaker government was deeply concerned about the situation of stability. “At the moment, it’s pretty much under control. It’s something which we fully and lawfully monitor, and we are in charge to pull all the strings when it comes to stability.”

With respect to Pakistan’s relations with Afghanistan, he said it would take some time to get relations with the neighboring Afghanistan’s de facto government better. “It’ll take a bit of time, but we are quite confident that we will be able to manage that.” “We do have a larger perspective and outlook on the whole of the region. But these day-to-day events do mire and complicate our relationship at times.

But we’re trying to manage it in a manner which is mutually beneficial to both sides,” he added. Responding to a question regarding the US’ attention in South Asian region, PM Kakar said as a Pakistani and someone coming from that region, he would be very much baffled if that region was being ignored or if it deserved less attention by the United States, because this was where actually lot of things were happening. “A population of around 3 to 4 billion resides in that region.

How do you ignore 4 billion people? How do you pay less attention to 4 billion people out of 8? Almost half of humanity resides there.” He said there were potential conflicts in those areas.

“It would be very stingy on my part not to mention Kashmir, because it is a flashpoint between two nuclear states. God forbid, if there is any sort of military confrontation between the two nuclear powers, how would that translate to the region? How would that translate outside the region? What sort of implications would it have for the European continent? What implications will it have across the planet into North America and the rest?.”

The prime minister expressed his concerns over the entire so-called “Indo-Pacific” policy of the Western Hemisphere via the encirclement of a regional power around the South China.

“We do view it and we are closely monitoring all the developments.” “The so-called Indo Pacific strategy is done for the objectives which suit Western powers…so, there is an element of concern and there is a legitimate sense of caution on the Pakistani side, we are closely monitoring that…and we are trying to do our own preparedness to respond to such a challenge,” he added.